Staffyluv

I always thought that formal exercise of pups was frowned upon. We were told that the only exercise pups need before 6 months of age is pupply play time and the little bit of training you do with them. I am sure someone more knowledgeable than myself will set the record straight, if I am incorrect.

You should not feel guilty for your choices... We all make our own choices and I really don't think pound adopters say these things to make others feel guilty - they are just pointing out the obvious. There are to many people dumping dogs in pounds and so many don't make it out.. There is nothing wrong with their opinion or yours... My old boy was a pure stafford but after he passed away, I decided that I would like to adopt from the pound and help out rescue - that is my choice... I would love to have another pure stafford one day and probably will but for now, the pound pups were the way to go for me.

Honestly Snook, I thought my heart was broken forever and then these two come along and have been the best medicine for the whole family.

Yep... Ollie had cancer for over 6 years and they do get fussy. I used to buy a BBQ chicken, strip the meat off and boil the bones to make a stock. Add some veg if you desire (Ollie really liked carrot, zucchini and sweet potato - the potato helps to thicken it a bit) and boil up some white rice to add to the soup.. Put the meat back in and serve in small meals throughout the day. When all else failed and he had not eaten, we gave him milk arrowroot biscuits in a little warm (low fat) milk - you only need to give them one or two biscuits at most as they really have no appetite - it keeps them eating. When you say vomiting - is it food coming back up or just water? If the dog is drinking water and regurgitating it, then you may need to give a bit of mylanta (I think it was 4ml per 10kg weight - but check with a vet). If she feels unwell, you can get maxalon to settle the stomach so she feels more like eating. Vitamin C is a great tonic for all dogs, especially cancer dogs - just the chewable ones from the chemist are fine but it is better to get the lower acid ones. You could see an holistic vet to do a food plan for your dog - we used to have one when Ollie was having chemo and it made a world of difference. We were told no raw food, so everything has to be cooked (including meat served). There are plenty of anti cancer diets for dogs on the internet and if you check out Ollie's thread in the palliative care section there is diet and supplement info in there as well. Good luck Jodie

I can't get over the fact that other dogs are attacking your pup. Pups usually get a right of passage with older dogs and they don't usually attack them. I realise there would be exceptions to the rule. You should defend your pup. For the record I have found the following successful (so far): When you see a dog running towards you and your dog, if you feel uncomfortable, then step in front of your dog, stamp your foot and in a loud growl say nooooo (or go home or get - what ever works for you). So far so good and I have managed over the years to protect an old dog who was a target many times. Poor pup, it is not good for the sociaisation of the pup either. I think you should report the incidents and the owners and offending dogs to the local council.

Same advice. This was the advice that I was given when I was looking. I played with heaps and ended up with a Canon and I love it. I got the twin lens kit and also bought a small portrait lens (which takes the most amazing portraits for an amateur)... They do feel different and the right one will just feel right.

Ziggy - god only knows what this lad is crossed with but he is going to be a big boy... He is about 8 months old now and has the biggest paws I have ever seen on a 'staffy' type boy. He is so chilled out, when he is not rumbling with our little kelpie foster boy, "Gus"...

I got up, had a shower and came back to find these guys making themselves really comfy

Thanks guys, I will try the bamboo thing at the door and see if that works (I just happen to have a half a roll of cheap fence covering here that is bamboo). I do wait until they stop before letting them in but I can't just let them damage the door and screen by ignoring what they are doing when they are jumping on it and chewing it. I tried a more passive approach by spraying the door with a little citronella and the staffy cross pup licked it off (he was even curious about the eucalyptus oil I smeared around the garden bed to keep him out). The kelpie was happy to steer clear of those smells though. I insist they sit before I open the door when I get them of a morning but as soon as they get in - they run and let everyone know they are inside... I do positive reinforcement by giving a treat when putting the lead on. The funny thing is, it is only while I am trying to attach it or when they see it in my hands - once it is on, they are fine and will even walk around with it attached to the collar and they both walk fine on lead. In fact the kelpie boy is an absolute joy to walk. He keeps pace with you. I am sure they will get it - eventually. I think it is me who needs more training on how to train them.

If you wanted to go down this path you might need to start slowly then build up to returning from a prolonged absence, e.g. walking out then straight back in again then training the behaviour you want. Then walking out to the front yard then back in, then when they've got working well go around the block and then back in -> train -> repeat, etc. This is good advice. I am having trouble understanding what is happening. If you let them inside they go crazy and you can't catch them? If they are outside they go crazy jumping on you? Or around the yard? It sounds like going outside to them is the best approach. But if they are jumping on you rather than running around, could you take hold of the collar and restrain one of them to see if they both calm down? You can use long, slow, firm strokes along a dogs back and sides to physically calm a dog down slightly. Same as you can use light and rapid scritching around the head to excite a dog (don't do that). Using the command 'sit' when you are not in position to enforce or reinforce the behaviour is going to undo all your training at this stage. But if you have hold of one, you might have a chance there. There are so many variables that you might change to change the behaviour. Do the dogs react when they hear your car, or only when you get inside? Could temporary barricades be placed that prevent certain behaviour? Your dogs are in a habit and sometimes you have to look at the whole situation, alter things that trigger learned habits and try to start alternative habits. Unfortunately we just can't switch off a dog in a state of excitement, but we can lessen it, and we can also work with the excitement to obtain a more desirable behaviour. Thanks. They are both pound pups and realistically, I should have only saved one at a time as it has been years since I had to deal with dog training (and that is not fair on either of these boys) but I really wanted to save them and I did, so now I will deal with it. Basically when I return home or get up in the morning, if they are inside, they run amok, jumping up on me and running around, jumping on furniture etc. I do close all the bedroom and bathroom doors but my house is open and there are no doors on the lounge, dining or kitchen areas. I am thinking of getting room barriers but I feel the Kelpie will just sail over these anyway (he can jump as high as me if he wants to). If they are outside they carry on until I either let them in or go out to see them and this then results in the above behaviour. I have tried not going straight out to them but I have now had to replace the screen over the door twice. I am sorry, maybe I am not explaining it well. Jumping on me, running around the house at full speed, jumping on furniture, the staffy cross talks (I am OK with this) but the Kelpie makes this whining/squeaky sort of noise (never heard it before) - I just ignore this but he still does it everytime I come home or let them in at breakfast. It is like they can't focus and the excitement of it all just makes them go blank. They really are good little guys and so loving. It is hard to get a lead on either of them (I fear their previous homes were not so nice), even now after they have been here a couple of months - they are both quite fearful of the lead (and I put it on them each day for walks). I don't make a big deal of it, just walk over, bend down and connect it to the collar but they both roll over and you can just see the panic with tails tucked and ears back - I dread to think what sort of person makes a dog so fearful of a lead... I am trying to ignore all unwanted behaviour - like the jumping, loud whining, scratching at the door etc. We do practice sitting quietly and they can do it - WHEN they calm down, they are lovely and quiet. I can get them to sit together and wait but again, only once they calm down. I don't seem to be able to get them to calm down - they only do this in their own time. I hope I have made more sense this time around Don't get me wrong with the quiet thing - we rumble and play outside with balls, frisbees and rope toys everyday and they are great at play. They even stop when I stop. It is just this coming home or first thing of a morning - it is like they have missed me that much they go ballistic and as much as I appreciate them missing me (seeing as most of the time I am only in the office - at home), I would prefer they did it with a little more restraint.

Absolutely agree with this. Try Dr Ann Neville in East Bentleigh. She has had some amazing results with cancer patients over abotu 15 years. Act now every day counts when you are dealing with cancer. Another who agrees with this advice. Ollie had cancer for over six years and he was fed three times a day most days until the end when he ate when he wanted So sorry to hear about your girl I also think another opinion is in order as I think you know your dog better than a vet does and if you see her losing weight like that then I would not be waiting that long for further treatment All the best

it won't I work from home and do not want the dogs to do this every time i come and go during the day (which can be a few times a day). It is not just me, they jump on everyone and go nuts every time someone comes. I think it is great that so many here want their dogs to greet them this way and are happy for them to do so but I don't want my dogs to do this. It is one thing to be welcomed home and another to put up with them not listening and running amok and ruining furniture. My previous dog did not act this way and all future dogs that want to stay here will learn not to jump on people and ruin furniture. I am sorry if people don't agree with me wanting to stop this behavior. I just wanted some advice on how to teach them to stop this before I can get the funds together and take them to training in the new year.

They are total loons and if it was just one dog, I would not have a problem but 2 dogs doing it at the same time is just more than I can handle. I will try the loud noise and see if that works, I have tried clapping my hands and stamping my foot but they are more interested in jumping all over the furniture. The fact that I have an expensive white leather lounge means nothing to them and they have damaged it already. Don't get me wrong I adore them but I guess I am just used to Ollie dog who had lovely old dog manners and these two are just insane at the best of times...

Yep, these are your other options - you could train an incompatible behaviour, or you could redirect & reward. You could even set up the door opening as a cue to go to your bed/mat/crate. Alternatively if you don't want them jumping on the couches etc. while you wait for them to calm down, you could call them over, get them to do a few tricks, then reward the tricks. That way they get less chance to build the habit of going crazy and you don't have to put up with bad behaviour while you are ignoring them and waiting for them to calm down. I find it quicker to show them what I want them to do than wait for them to figure it out, but that says more about my level of impatience than anything really All good suggestions in this thread, it's just a matter of finding what works for you There are some great suggestions in here. The bolded bit is the problem - I can't get them to come to me. I can't get them to stop, until they are ready and they stop of their own accord.. I have tried calling them, showing them I have a treat for them and asking them to sit but they won't sit still. They continue to chase and run riot. I am happy they are happy but this behaviour can be quite over the top sometimes. It is getting better with me not speaking to them. By just opening the door and walking outside they do seem to understand but they are still jumping (even when I turn away, they still jump up). It is better if we go outside rather than I let them inside - where I have no control and they won't stop (until they are ready), even when ignored. We will just keep working on it and bring in someone to help after Christmas if we can't get it sorted on our own. Hopefully formal training at the local dog club will be beneficial after Christmas. The funny thing is, when they are on their own (if I take one out and the other is left at home) - they are both on their best behaviour. They really do egg each other on...

I probably should clarify that I work from home and go out a few times a day to get mails, meet clients and other errands and this happens every time. When I had Ollie I did not mind the excited welcome home either but he was one older dog and this is 2 young dogs that run around the house like lunatics, jumping on furniture and me and simply won't listen to anything while they are in this state of mind It is not that I don't like the hello, I do. Thanks for the advice I will just continue doing the ignoring while they are being excited and reward when they are calm

Can I please have some suggestions on how to stop the dog carrying on when I get home Pound foster used to carry on (crying, jumping etc) when I left. So I resolved this by making a leaving routine by putting him in a safe place, with a treat and a toy - took about a week but it worked. No more anxiety when I left. When I come home, he jumps, whines (it is like a crying sort of noise), runs around like a loon for about 5 minutes and 'can't seem to calm down'. I have tried ignoring his reaction Leaving him out until he sits quietly and is calm at the door (but as soon as he is in it starts) Going out to him and spending a few minutes in the yard before coming inside (it is me, though as he carries on as soon as he sees me, does not matter if he is in or out). When I go out I just sit at the outside table and say nothing but he runs, whining and jumping around me. The staffy cross pup we have here has just started doing the same. Now I can handle the staffy vocals (Ollie was very vocal) but the jumping and running (full blown zoomies) around like loons is getting to me. I want them to be calmer, I realise this will take some work. So I have come to ask for the collective wisdom of the DOL training community. Yes I realise this might be better in the training section but thought I would get more advice here as not everyone goes into the training section Now this really the only concern I have with the boys now - they have come so far from being complete lunatics from the pound, afraid of everything with no manners. They both now sit, shake and we are working on drop. They both fetch toys and balls (this is their fave). They are both toilet trained to not go in the house and we have a bedtime routine that sees them both go to bed together and not get up until 7am, when I rise (if I want to sleep in at bit). Your assistance is much appreciated. PS they will both be going to formal training early next year but I have not had the time or the funds to do this right now, hence me trying to resolve it without professional help at the moment.

Oh god yes... Ollie was given his wings at 14 years and 4 and a half months of age. The day before he was at the park jumping on the sprinklers and biting the water - romping around like a silly old man...

+ 1 +2

Oh Griff, I am so very sorry... RIP Ryan, playing at the bridge now

Lovely pics Ams. Thanks for taking this adorable boy on. I just had a feeling about him in the pound and I am sure he will be a great dog. I was surprised to hear he is escaping. He was kangaroo hopping in the pound but made no attempt to go near the fences when he did it (that I saw anyway). Thanks for the updates, Chance is adorable.

Haha...Loved it..

I can make it anytime, so will just keep checking in here when it is on... I really want to get the pup (7 months) out and about as he has limited contact with other dogs and I really want him to be a social guy...

I feed twice but we have a 7 month old staffy cross pup here at the moment, who seems to be a bottomless pit when it comes to food and energy.. So the foster Kelpie gets his food separated into 2 feeds as well.

Oh Grotty I can't believe I did not see this before... I am so very sorry - the Grotty Rotty is antoher DOL legend that we say farewell to.. Playing at the bridge with all the others RIP

Yes they can however it is undesirable and considered a fault.. They do look very cute here is the link